Essay about The Price of Diamonds Is Too High - 1177 Words

Statement: â€Å"The price of diamonds is too high.† The diamond cartel is the most successful and long-lasting cartel in history. The cartel created a scarcity for diamond and stabilized the prices at a high level. This essay will be discussing the validity of the statement with reference to the market of the diamond industry, history of the diamond cartel, how the price of diamonds is determined, and the implications thereof. â€Å"A cartel is a group of firms acting together†¦to limit output, raise prices, and increase economic profit.† (Parkin et al., 2013:312) The diamond cartel formed when diamonds were discovered in South Africa. This discovery, in 1870, brought a rush of prospectors to South Africa to search for alluvial diamonds. The search†¦show more content†¦Therefore, the discovery of diamonds resulted in an overall decrease in the price and value of diamonds. Rhodes saw the diamond cartel as a solution to this problem. Rhodes used the cartel to limit the supply of diamonds to the actual demand, thereby stockpiling the excess supply. De Beers not only controlled the market in South Africa, but they also expanded their holdings to other parts of the world, such as, England and Israel. (Epstein, 1982:1) By 1929, when Sir Oppenheimer took control of De Beers, the transition between the actual mining to the distribution, which is controlled by the Central Selling Organizing (CSO), became centrally controlled. (Spar, 2006:197-198) By analysing the definition of monopoly, which â€Å"†¦is the exclusive right of a person, corporation or state to sell a particular commodity† (Lerner, 1934:157), we can deduce that the diamond industry is a single-price monopoly; in other words, De Beers created its own barriers to prevent others from entry by obtaining control of the supply of diamonds (Parkin et al., 2013:273) and selling at the same price to all its customers (Parkin et al., 2013:275). Since by definition, a monopoly consists of one entity, a monopolist has complete control of the supply of the commodity; therefore, it has market power and, thus, has the ability to control the prices. (Parkin et al., 2013:272-273) The same would apply to the diamond industry: De Beers was the only firm that minedShow MoreRelatedThe Price of Diamonds is Too High Essays1079 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"THE PRICE OF DIAMONDS IS TOO HIGH† For more than a century the diamond industry has flourished beyond expectations. The diamond has grown from a small yet rare gem stone to that of a rather large and powerful symbol of wealth. The industry has been controlled by one major corporation, De Beers. De beers along with the cartel it set up has built an industry that will last forever. (Spar, 2006) This paper will analyse the diamond industry, paying specific attention to the cartel, how it operates;Read MoreEssay on The Price of Diamonds Is too High984 Words   |  4 PagesThe Price of Diamonds Is Too High For centuries the diamond has fascinated man for its alluring sparkle and physical hardness. Formed about three billion years ago, the diamond may very well be the oldest and most precious item any person can own. The internationally accepted notion that this commodity is one of the most treasurable commodity of them all has led to the public being prepared to pay the prices that are set by a group of companies in an agreement known as a cartel. This essay willRead MoreThe Price of Diamonds Is too High Essay1119 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The price of diamonds is too high† This essay discusses the statement â€Å"the price of diamonds is too high†; it will analyze the diamond cartel and its history in order to determine the validity of this statement. Various microeconomic theories will be discussed and explained, all of which are involved in the diamond cartel. The Oxford Dictionary defines a cartel as â€Å"an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition†Read MoreThe Price of Diamonds Is Too High Essay1215 Words   |  5 Pagesstatement â€Å"The price of diamonds is too high†. Diamonds have always been presumed to be rare. They have been present in history as a symbol of wealth and luxury as they were so difficult to find. Nowadays diamonds are mined and are found all over the world but they are sold through a cartel. (Epstein 1982) A cartel limits the supply of a product in order to keep prices high and to limit competition. (South African Pocket Oxford Dictionary: 2002) This raises the question of whether diamonds are actuallyRead MoreThe Price of Diamonds Is too High in the Modern Market Essay1281 Words   |  6 Pagesmore dependent on diamonds as the years go by. From finding this rare gem in the depths of the earths’ crust, to it now being used as a certain love gesture. The rarity of this beautiful gem has changed, however has the price of diamonds changed accordingly with its value (placed upon by society). This essay will effectively argue that the price of diamonds is too high in the market in the present day as a result of various economic factors. The essay will give information on diamond cartels and howRead MoreThe Price of Diamonds Is Too High The price of diamonds has been controlled, up until recently, by1700 Words   |  7 PagesThe Price of Diamonds Is Too High The price of diamonds has been controlled, up until recently, by cartels. Cartels are formed when suppliers of a particular product or service formally agree not to compete with one another. Cartel agreements usually determine the price, output and supply levels as well as where and to whom the product will be distributed to. De Beers is one of the commonly heard names with regard to diamonds. Up until recently De Beers controlled the diamond industry. It bothRead MoreThe History of the Diamond Cartel and Its Role in Determining the Price of Diamonds1174 Words   |  5 PagesDiamonds have been identified as being precious but expensive gems for many decades. Diamonds were extremely rare, only found in India and Brazil until the late nineteenth century (Vogelsang, 2005: 5). After the discovery of diamonds in South Africa, the diamond industry began to flourish. Diamonds then became very abundant and cheap to produce. In order for the value of diamonds to remain as high as they were during the phase in which they were still rare, a diamond cartel was introduced. A cartelRead MoreShould Diamonds Cost so Much? Essay1132 Words   |  5 PagesDiamonds have long been considered some of the most prized and sought after possessions. They have been perceived as indicators of wealth and romance. The diamond market however; has been one of the most controversial and controlled markets in history run by a cartel â€Å"†¦an association of suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition† (Oxford English dictionary) formed to prevent the market from becoming flooded with diamonds from too many suppliers, resultingRead MoreEssay on The DeBeers Diamond Cartel1139 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscovery of diamonds, the precious gem has always remained an item of luxury and great beauty and one that requires a great deal of financial sacrifice in order to acquire. Prices of diamonds have remained relatively stable over the last 100 years while prices of other commodities have fluctuated heavily (Hauser, 2002). Diamonds are a relatively rare commodity which gives them a high value and with the help of De Beer’s advertising campaign, spanning the last six decades, that high value appealRead MorePov Analysis Debeers1219 Words   |  5 PagesPOV ANALYSIS #1 De Beers Diamonds Corrin Wigren 10/10/11 Situation: The De Beers name has always been synonymous with diamonds due largely impart to the fact that in order for anyone to deal in the diamond business, at some point they will have to deal with at least one of our subsidiary companies, retailers or distributors. De Beers owns 43% of the worlds’ market shares of rough diamonds, but this is way down from the 80% we were at in the 80’s. The diamond demand is at the mercy of an

Pros and Cons of India’s vote in the US sponsored UNHRC Resolution against Sri Lanka. Free Essays

India finally has taken a stand and voted for the US sponsored resolution at the United Nations top Human Rights Body (UNHRC). Every decision taken has its own value. So let us take a look at the Pros and Cons of India’s vote in the UNHRC Resolution against Sri Lanka along with some viable alternatives. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of India’s vote in the US sponsored UNHRC Resolution against Sri Lanka. or any similar topic only for you Order Now The important positive aspect of the voting in favour of the resolution is that, the Government of India has finally proved that India stands alongside the Sri Lankan Tamils and they will be ‘there’ for the benefit of the people. It is a welcome stand by the Government, even though it happened after a tough political lobbying between the regional parties of Tamil Nadu. It also shows that India acts in its own show its commitment to shun violence against the unarmed civilians and for their rehabilitation. As the whole Tamil Community people were looking forward for India to act, the GoI (Government of India) did the right thing to garner their support. It may also put an end to the Zigzag diplomacy followed by the Rajapaksha’s Government (Giving a Commitment when Foreign minister of India reaches in Sri Lanka due to pressure from the Tamil Nadu politicians and when he boards the flight, commitment will be in dustbin). May be there is a minute possibility of taking Rajapaksha’s Government to the ICC (International Criminal Court) for the war crime. But what is the resolution in the UNHRC really intends to do to the Sri Lankan Government. To be frank it achieves nothing, rather it HUMILIATES Sri Lanka in the World Political Scenario. The Humiliation is thought to do wonders in the country, which has been proven wrong many a number of times (There are more than 200 resolutions passed against Israel for its action against Palestine, though no solution have been found). The resolution draft which has not been released officially by the UNHRC, is intended to contain only recommending the Government to act according to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), with the coordination and active support of the member States of the UNHRC (affecting the sovereignty of the country, like eg: USA dictating India how to control Naxalism and monitoring every move made by the State forces). As India had voted in favour of the US sponsored UNHRC resolution, the whole geographical hegemony is shifting underneath India. With this vote GoI has deliberately distanced itself from Sri Lanka in the International Scenario, since Sri Lanka has always been toeing India in all major International organization, this action might ignite their passion to pursue their own interest or lean towards the ever growing Dragon Warrior (China). A mutual distrust will be created between the GoI and the Government of Sri Lanka (Even though the severity of the resolution has been diluted with active intervention of India). The Big Brother attitude of India in the South Asian region journeys in the downward swirl. India had always maintained a stature of Non Aligned Country and look to avoid any involvement in the internal affairs of other countries, but this voting pattern has severely dented that image which was carved and niched by Foreign Affairs expert Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It leads to the questioning of the India’s commitment to the NAM (Non Aligned Movement), SAARC and other regional organizations, who look upon India as a key player in the region. China has been provided with a golden opportunity to strengthen its â€Å"String of Pearls† strategy in Sri Lanka (eg: Habantota port developed by Chinese firms) (encircling India on all the sides diplomatically and strategically). The other important aspect is that the Tamilans in the Sri Lanka are now being portrayed as Enemy of the State (due to the humiliation of the country in the world arena) by the Sinhalese people, which will lead to the increase in the rift between the various communities, rather than improving their co existence and starting of the reconstruction of the nation. Even though India had taken a stand in the issue, GoI must actively participate in the rehabilitation of the Sri Lankan Tamil People with a â€Å"Solution oriented approach†. India has already provided a helping hand in the clearing of the Land mines in the Battle field, along with the building of the houses for the Tamil People. Infrastructure development projects (railways) are being mooted in the war torn areas (Even though the essential supplies sent from India is being rotten in the godowns in Sri Lanka). India must make a dedicated approach towards the Tamil Eelam issue, rather than succumbing to the pressures of the regional parties. Since India is a heavyweight in SAARC and NAM, diplomatic channels can be opened in coherence with these regional organizations to look into the rehabilitation of Tamil people in the Tamil Eelam region. It will provide a more conducive environment to the Government of Sri Lanka the people, rather than being dictated by the high handedness of the Police of the World (USA). People are the pillars of the democracy, so the people to people contact between the various communities in Sri Lanka must be encouraged. Rajapaksha’s government must give in to the demand of the 13th amendment plus plea. This would provide the suitable platform for bringing in a federal structure in the country (dissolution of the power to the Chief Ministers as in the case of India), which is in the best interest of all the stakeholders or communities. Effective steps must be taken against the offenders who were responsible for the atrocities, set loose upon the unarmed civilians and they must be punished according to the rule of law. The one question which will always linger in the mooting of the resolution is the active role played by the USA, which dramatizes them as the champion of the Human Rights (Literally). The answer will be real simple that Uncle Sam was unable to place a firm foot in the Island nation, while the Government of Sri Lanka were fostering and nurturing their relations with countries which have been hostile with USA (Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, etc). This prompted USA to bring the Island nation to bring in order along with its favour, which has severely backfired the USA policy (the strong anti – American mood within the people). This incident outlines the incompetence in assuring that India would become a world power in the near future. If the Human Rights violation in the Sri Lanka had been taken seriously by the Government of India and intended to take action against the lax nature of the action proceeding against the offenders, GoI should have sponsored the resolution rather than backing a resolution which is sponsored by a nation which is totally alien to the Island nation, the responsibility holds up on the shoulders of India due to its geographical, ethnical, cultural and economic proximity to the country. War, would always leave a undeniable scare in the mind of the people along with the sorrows and despair, the Citizens of Sri Lankan have long been made the pawns due to the bad decision making at the time of Independence in the Island nation. Time is always a good healer. The War now over, the hatred sowed in the minds of the different communities must be weeded out and a mutual trust must be incorporated in the minds of the people, with whatever solution available. The International community must look in to the long term prospect of the building the nation to its zenith rather than involving in petty politics and gaining fame. Government of Sri Lanka must aptly remember that â€Å"United is Strength, Divided is to Fail†. Therefore the State must take any possible measure to unite the various communities in the country, even when it is to compromise on some basic ideals. Since ultimately it is for the people the Government is formed as â€Å"Democracy†. How to cite Pros and Cons of India’s vote in the US sponsored UNHRC Resolution against Sri Lanka., Papers

Love In Campus Essay Example For Students

Love In Campus Essay I havent decided which topic to dewell on until I heard of a story, the same story that happened again between my classmates this term. Another pair of boyfriend and girlfriend had said goodbye to each other, leaving only the good memories of the sweet past and a miserable future in front. Someone once told me there are no rights or wrongs in love after he was turned down by a girl. However, he ended up his comment with I dont believe there is true love in campus now, which surprised me most. Another boy, who is one of my best friends, after bidding farwell to his girlfriend, said he still loved the girl so much although it was her who wanted to leave him, which also made me deeply impressed. Although I have witnessed or have heard of many sotories about the love in campus, most of which were ended with tear,sadness and misery, I still firmly believe that there is true love in campus.It may come from a slight trembling in the heart, it may stem from appreciations between good friends and it may have made its way from a pure-hearted talk on a certain occasion, but it does exist and it will not die out as long as human beings remain as emotional creatures. There are many reasons for university students try to find a girl friend or a boy friend.Some want to prove their attractiveness while many of them want to get rid of the loneliness and fastidium of the campus life, still some others just want to have a try on everything including love, but among them, there are people who have really found the resonance of their hearts, and the harmony of their minds between the two of them. And there are people who have devoted themselves into loving each other without demanding return. Love means not ever having to say you are sorry,because love only calls for bona fides, for the true feelings between the two, and understandings of the two under any circumstances. Devotions to love help build a ever-lasting and unfaded love in spite of time, distances and misunderstandings. Many people regard love in campus is immature and somehow childish. But first love is true love, which is as pure as a piece of crystal and as immaculate as a fine blue sky.And its not sophiscated compared with the love outside the ivory tower mixed with money, fame and puissance, which has lost its essence during the hybird with so many factors. There does exist real love in campus, which is becoming more and more scarce nowdays.We have to seek for it ourselves using our hearts and true feelings. When we are experiencing one, cherish it and devote into it no matter what the result may be in the future. Remember there is true love in campus and one day you may discover it. For those who have already in love with someone, just love the one you are  loving and dont leave any regret when looking back into the campus life one day.

Qualification Handbook free essay sample

Level 3 and 4 Awards in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) (6302) October 2011 Version 1. 0 Qualification at a glance Subject area City Guilds number Age group approved Entry requirements Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector 6302 19+ There are no formal entry requirements. Learners are required to have evidence of level 3 vocational skills for the area in which they will teach if they are to progress into teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (LLS) This qualification is available at levels 3 and 4. Both levels are to be assessed by a combination of assignments (provided) and observation of teaching/training. Simulation (micro-teaching) is permitted for units 003 and 010. Available (see section 2 Centre requirements) Signature Signature Signature Signature 60 City Guilds Level 3 and 4 Awards in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) (6302) Form 2 Assessment front sheet and feedback record PTLLS Level 3/4 This form is mandatory Theory Assessment No: Learner name: Enrolment number: Date issued: Date submitted: I confirm that the evidence for this unit is authentic and a true representation of my own work. We will write a custom essay sample on Qualification Handbook or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Learner signature: Date: Feedback: Continue on a separate sheet if necessary, see overleaf Tutor/Assessor/Marker and IQA’s signatures (IQA if sampled) must be appear on the following page. City Guilds Level 3 and 4 Awards in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) (6302) 61 Feedback: (Continued from previous page) Marker/Tutor/Assessor name: Resubmission date (if referred): IQA’s name (if sampled) Grade Grade Date Date Date 62

Personal philosophy of leadership Essay Example

Personal philosophy of leadership Essay Example Personal philosophy of leadership Essay Personal philosophy of leadership Essay Leadership Leadership is the ability of one to steer others ; it is based on 1s abilities and qualities instead than accomplishments. One is born with these built-in qualities and of course leads others ; these qualities are such as honestness, bravery, assurance, finding and wisdom among others. A leader is different from a director, while a leader is born with the qualities a trough is created from accomplishments he acquires. The leader can go a trough while a trough is non needfully a leader. The leader is seen as a individual in charge they are consulted for they ability to do determinations and steer the class of events. While this may be true the leader is besides a retainer, a good leader s intent is to function those who he has been bestowed upon the duty of steering. This may look absurd but looking at leading from a critical point of position one is able to understand the immense duty on their shoulders as they are frequently looked upon. The place of leading is either bestowed upon them or it comes of course, when a faced by a certain determination a leader in a group will emerge without being appointed. Leadership is so called upon to be based on moralss. The ground for this is that leading in today s universe is under changeless examination, everyone is watching the actions of the leader they make remarks and base on balls judgement. The leading place is no longer a august place, it is one idea respected is non exempted from the society s examination. A good leader is one who involves those he leads in the every determination devising and activities of this group. The leading function should besides promote the followings to a higher and better place. Leadership is meant improve the persons, a leader that leads those he leads into devastation or ruin is non an ethical leader. Ethically there are recognized behavioural facets that are expected of a leader, the leader is non supposed to mistreat the powers bestowed to him. They should non bewray the trust and trueness empowered to them by others, they are supposed to be consistent, should non stash privileges and more so they should accept duty. These are the ethical facets of leading expected by the society. Personal Leadership Competence Leadership theories have been in usage to assist depict leading. The transformational leading theory is based upon the ethical attack, where both the leader and followings are engaged in a combined attempt to raise each other. Transformational leaders raise the criterions by being good illustrations to their followings. The procedure or transactional leader whose concern the creative activity of constructions that he expects the followings to adhere to, of they do he honor them. The transformational leader promotes societal values and encourages his followings. Leadership development is non merely restricted to troughs and leaders but can be utile to employees who are seeking to foster their accomplishments in leading. In order for one to efficaciously develop their leading accomplishments, they need to develop a program. This is guided by leading competency accomplishments. The first measure to accomplishing a personal leading program is the designation of ends. In order for me to accomplish a healthcare leading competency in the twenty-first century, the first measure is to finish the maestro plan in wellness information sciences. This preparation is meant to give me accomplishments in the information sector that are necessary in the field of wellness. The usage and application of computing machines, information engineering in the health care sector necessitates the acquisition of wellness information sciences. This will be acquired in the procedure of preparation and work experience as a nurse. Then I must entree proficiency. The following measure in my leading development program is the designation of larning experiences. As a nurse I need to develop a acquisition contract with my immediate supervisor. This measure is necessary as it gives me hands on experience and larning chances in the work environment. The supervisor is at that place to give counsel, work experiences and a usher in the acquisition procedure in the work topographic point. This interaction besides assists one in the geting of leading accomplishments particularly when a supervisor assigns one an assignment. In the acquisition procedure I should acquire a wise man in the field of nursing. This wise man is an authorization in the country in which I am interested in. the intents of wise mans are to help the scholar in the acquisition procedure, they are both friends and leaders to the leaner. A wise man should be able to help the scholar in their pursuit for cognition, give those resources, and practical experience every bit good as the exposure they require. During this learning procedure, to get the necessary leading accomplishments, as a possible nursing manager, I should prosecute in some cross preparation plan. The intent of which is to get theoretical cognition in the field of involvement. Programs such as these may affect workshops, or seminars organized in the work topographic point. Volunteering for responsibility is one other certain manner of accruing leading accomplishments. Catching the chance to make full in the place of a supervisor or staff that is off will expose one to the day-to-day duties. It is during these cases that one is good cognizant of their qualities as a leader, their defects and strengths because this chances offer one the opportunity to exert their cognition. Filling in the place of a senior nurse even for one twenty-four hours is a fulfilling exercising ; it even exposes one to the direction. An of import acquisition pattern is that of fall ining outside professional organisations. Either as a trainee, a portion clip worker or a voluntary the intent once more is larning, acquiring a feel of the leading skill outside your workplace, deriving penetrations into how other organisations work. While larning can be obtained within the organisations workshops and preparation plans, but it is besides good to obtain enfranchisements from other establishments of larning in the medical field. Short classs offered add value to an person every bit good as preparation in the relevant field. With today s of all time altering market, establishments of higher acquisition are developing short classs to developing professionals. A nurse can happen these classs useful if they intend to foster their calling. These classs are besides flexible in footings of clip, eventide, weekends vacations or even on-line and correspondence. It is of import to seek out on-line ego trial plans ; these are meant to supply an person with an chance to self evaluate themselves. Apart from these on-line plans, there are books and tapes available on the self trial. Upon completion of the acquisition experiences it is necessary to hold a developmental program. This program should detail the continuance of clip, specific aims and ends to be achieved. The developmental program should imply the acquisition experiences. The wise man, the short courses one intends to go to. Organizations that one is go toing should integrate self test, this show besides province the consequences of the trial. The strengths and failings of the person, s a nurse the developmental program should hold the short and long term ends. The program of finishing wellness information sciences class, the stairss intended to accomplish accomplishments in order to be a nurse manager. Strategic planning should be involved in the developmental planning phase ; this involves the vision statement of the individual. The vision here is to a nurse manager ; fundamentally the vision is based on the long term ends. Strategic planning besides consists of the mission, a personal mission inside informations the specific aims and how they plan to accomplish them. By finishing a class in information sciences wellness and developing programs to accomplish leading preparation I am good on the manner of going a nurse manager. After planning, it is of import to finish the acquisition experiences. These experiences were set in the clip frame of the development program. As one attains the acquisition experiences it is of import to measure the advancement. Appraisal can be carried out during the experience or on completion of the experience. Continual appraisal is advised since one can set cheques in topographic point as they undergo the acquisition procedure. Continuous appraisal is supposed to help in doing certain that the ends are being fulfilled. It is during this appraisal periods that one can integrate short term ends in the maestro program. The short term ends are like cheque shapers in a program, holding achieved a certain short term end one is so able to travel to the following acquisition activity. Plans besides change during these uninterrupted appraisals, this is in a instance where it is found that the program was non accomplishing the long term aim. Apart from uninterrupted appraisals one can t ransport out an appraisal at the terminal of the exercising. This is at the terminal of the plan, this is meant to measure the success of the plan, and whether on vitamin E was able to accomplish the ends set out. If this was non done so one goes back to the first measure and place new ends. The appraisal should clearly give a usher where a measure went incorrect. In drumhead a leader is the decisive factor in the organisation and society at big. Leadership should be based on 1s abilities and qualities instead than accomplishments. One is born with these built-in qualities and of course leads others ; these qualities are such as honestness, bravery, assurance, finding and wisdom among others. A leader should be really different from a director, while a leader is born with the qualities a trough is created from accomplishments he acquires. The leader can go a trough while a trough is non needfully a leader. The leader is seen as a individual in charge they are consulted for they ability to do determinations and steer the class of events. While this may be true the leader is besides a retainer, a good leader s intent is to function those who he has been bestowed upon the duty of steering. The development of an person to a leader should be based on self motive. By achieving leading accomplishments one should be able to efficaciously mange and his equals. Personal leading accomplishments are meant for ego betterment, they assist one in the workplace and his calling aims. Work cited Cromwell, S. and Kolb, J, An scrutiny of work-environment support factors impacting transportation of supervisory accomplishments developing to the work topographic point. Human Resource Development Quarterly,2004 Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 449-71. Carter, N. Leadership Development Planning. Retrieved 1st May 2010, hypertext transfer protocol: //managementhelp.org/ldr_dev/ldr_dev.htm Baldwin, T. and Ford, K. ( 1988 ) , Transfer Of Training: A Review And Directions For Future Research.Personnel Psychology, Spring, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p63-105 Brinkmann, T. How to Make a Personal Leadership Development Plan. 2007 Retrieved May 1, 2010, fromhttp: //ezinearticles.com/ ? How- to- Create- a- Personal- Leadership- Development- Plan A ; id=803557 Kendra, C.Leadership Theories 8 Major LeadershipTheories retrieved 1st May 2010, hypertext transfer protocol: //psychology.about.com/od/leadership/p/leadtheories.htm NSS. Scotland. Delivery Through Leadership: Leadership Development Plan. Scottish Executive, Edinburgh 2005 Stephen, R. , Bruce, M. and Terry, W.M. , Organizational Behavior. Published by Prentice Hall, 4th erectile dysfunction.

Oldest President of the United States

Oldest President of the United States Who do you think is the oldest president in United States history? The oldest president in office was Ronald Reagan, but the oldest to become president is  Donald Trump. Trump has Reagan beat by nearly 8 months, entering office at the age of 70 years, 220 days. Reagan took his first oath of office at the age of 69 years, 349 days. Perspective on Presidential Age Few Americans who were adults during the Reagan administration can forget how much the Presidents age was discussed in the media, particularly during the latter years of his second term in office. But was Reagan really that much  older than all the other presidents? It depends on how you look at the question. When he entered office, Reagan was less than two  years older than William Henry Harrison, four years older than James Buchanan,  and five years older than George H.W. Bush, who succeeded Reagan as President. However, the gaps grow wider when you look at the respective ages when these presidents left office. Reagan was a two-term president and left office at the age of 77. Harrison served only 1 month in office, and both Buchanan and and Bush served only a single full term. All the Presidents Ages   Here are the ages of all of the U.S. presidents at the time of their inauguration, listed from oldest to youngest. Grover Cleveland, who served two non-sequential terms, is listed only once.  Ã‚   Donald Trump (70 years, 7 months, 7 days)Ronald Reagan  (69 years, 11 months, 14 days)William H. Harrison  (68 years, 0 months, 23 days)James Buchanan  (65 years, 10 months, 9 days)George H. W. Bush  (64 years, 7 months, 8 days)Zachary Taylor  (64 years, 3 months, 8 days)Dwight D. Eisenhower  (62 years, 3 months, 6 days)Andrew Jackson  (61 years, 11 months, 17 days)John Adams  (61 years, 4 months, 4 days)Gerald R. Ford  (61 years, 0 months, 26 days)Harry S. Truman  (60 years, 11 months, 4 days)James Monroe  (58 years 10 months, 4 days)James Madison  (57 years, 11 months, 16 days)Thomas Jefferson  (57 years, 10 months, 19 days)John Quincy Adams  (57 years, 7 months, 21 days)George Washington  (57 years, 2 months, 8 days)Andrew Johnson  (56 years, 3 months, 17 days)Woodrow Wilson  (56 years, 2 months, 4 days)Richard M. Nixon  (56 years, 0 months, 11 days)Benjamin Harrison  (55 years, 6 months, 12 days)Warren G. Harding  (55 years, 4 months, 2 day s)Lyndon B. Johnson  (55 years, 2 months, 26 days)Herbert Hoover  (54 years, 6 months, 22 days) George W. Bush  (54 years, 6 months, 14 days)Rutherford B. Hayes  (54 years, 5 months, 0 days)Martin Van Buren  (54 years, 2 months, 27 days)William McKinley  (54 years, 1 month, 4 days)Jimmy Carter  (52 years, 3 months, 19 days)Abraham Lincoln  (52 years, 0 months, 20 days)Chester A. Arthur  (51 years, 11 months, 14 days)William H. Taft  (51 years, 5 months, 17 days)Franklin D. Roosevelt  (51 years, 1 month, 4 days)Calvin Coolidge  (51 years, 0 months, 29 days)John Tyler  (51 years, 0 months, 6 days)Millard Fillmore  (50 years, 6 months, 2 days)James K. Polk  (49 years, 4 months, 2 days)James A. Garfield  (49 years, 3 months, 13 days)Franklin Pierce  (48 years, 3 months, 9 days)Grover Cleveland  (47 years, 11 months, 14 days)Barack Obama  (47 years, 5 months, 16 days)Ulysses S. Grant  (46 years, 10 months, 5 days)Bill Clinton  (46 years, 5 months, 1 day)John F. Kennedy  (43 years, 7 months, 22 days)Theodore Roosevelt  (42 years, 10 months, 1 8 days) Learn more about the US Presidents Which presidents were elected without winning the popular vote?How many American presidents were assassinated?Who was the youngest president of the United States?How many presidents died while serving in office?

Portfolio Maternal & Peadiatric Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Portfolio Maternal & Peadiatric Care - Essay Example Thus, the interviewer should determine that they understand the attitude of the individual they will interview before they are brought into the room. The woman's rejection of an interpreter is the first mistake that was made while conducting the interview. All patients are not fluent in the English language. It is necessary to use a professional interpreter because it can allow a safe and effective interview to be conducted instead of a confusing and frustrating one (NSW Health Department). Often enough, individuals feel no need for an interpreter because they are embarrassed or feel their personal information will not be respected. To maintain their privacy they reject the idea of an interpreter. Under these circumstances the interviewer should convince the patient that their information will be kept confidential. They should also be reassured that the interpreter will be most useful, not only because they are aware of the terminology required to explain the situation but because they are also bound to present the facts exactly as they are: accurately and full. The presence of a male child and his behavior should have immediately warned the interviewer to the lack of professionalism with which the interview might be conducted.

Music From 1750- to the present-broad out line of the most significant Essay

Music From 1750- to the present-broad out line of the most significant - Essay Example Perhaps the backbone of music is the classical music tradition. Georg Mathhias Monn was an 18th century Vienna composer. His great contribution to the evolution of music was through the introduction of the secondary theme in the symphony. Monn was influenced by the Baroque style of Bach, but advanced this style to a more looser and graceful sound. His work on ‘Symphony in B major’ reflects this looser style, as well as containing a secondary theme. Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony #9 in D Minor, Opus 125 is a piece from most of the most renowned symphonies in the Western tradition. The symphony is in part such a revolutionary contribution to music, not simply because of its powerful and virtuosic content, but also because it represents one of the first instances of voices in a symphony. In terms of thematic content, Beethoven had a number of aristocratic patrons that ensure his artistic productions could be achieved to full completion. Franz Schubert was a 19th cen tury Romantic composer. Despite his early death at 31 his influence has lived on through a number of later composers and in the gradual adoption of Romantic principles. Schubert’s work on Erlkonig is highly influential as it aids in the early development of these Romantic tendencies, as well as the adoption symphonic poetry within the classical music context. In addition to traditional classical composers, there are a great number of amateur and otherwise marginalized songwriters. Louis Moreau Gottschalk was a nineteenth century American composer. He constructed a great number of Romantic piano works and was recognized as virtuoso performer. His composition ‘The Banjo: Fantasie grotesque, Opus 15’ falls within this category. ... The song is a light-hearted piano melody that one can argue is one of the forerunners of 20th century developments in popular music, with its naive and fun tone. Amy Beach was a 19th and 20th century American female pianist. Her composition ‘Gaelic Symphony: Movement 2’ is highly relevant to the history of music for its virtuosity and content; however, perhaps Beach’s greatest contribution was through breaking gender barriers in an field that until this point has been largely male dominated. Stephen Collins Foster was 19th century American songwriter. He is referred to as the father of American music. His song ‘De Camtown Races’ is highly important as it establishes forms of music that would later influence 20th century singers and songwriters. In terms of influence, the track was heavily influence from black minstrels that were popular at the time. Francis Johnson was a 19th century African American composer based in the United States. During this ti me African American composers were highly rare. Similar to Beach, Johnson continues the theme of marginalized individuals breaking into an oppressive industry. His song ‘The Grave of the Slave’ is notable for its simple yet beautiful melody. It’s clear Johnson was influenced by African minstrels and European and American classical influences. William Billings was an American choral composer during the 18th century. He is widely recognized as being the progenitor of American choral music. His songs were all written for four-part chorus and intended to be sang acapella. His composition ‘Wake Ev’ry Breath: A Canon of 6 in One with a Ground† falls directly into these categorical articulations. The choral composition is clearly influenced by similar spiritual compositions in the European tradition.

Exploration of a Surrealist theme Essay Example for Free

Exploration of a Surrealist theme Essay Jonathan Safran Foers first novel Everything is Illuminated is yet another artistic interpretation of reliving the memory of the Holocaust – which to younger generations of men and women over the world has moved into the domain of folklore and history, progressing from the living memory of people of yesteryears. In assessing the surrealistic component of his work, we would first define surrealism as an art form and how it has played an important role in modern literature and movies first. Although surrealism as a movement started in 1924, it still influences artists, writers and critics even to this day. At its core, surrealism taps into our unconscious through powerful symbols and abstractions, and according to the author of the book The Surrealist Manifesto Andre Breton(1924), surrealist writers express the passage of actual functioning of thought rather than describing thought itself. The tool that Foer uses in his work is automatic writing which is essentially a popular surrealist tool according to Breton, which implies writing without thinking. This aimed to break down the barriers between the conscious and subconscious, thus providing a clearer picture of the actual awareness and mental processes of the writer. There are numerous elements of Foers work in Everything is Illuminated which is unmistakably surrealistic, and exposes the automatic writing process that Foer employs. In a way this is a new angle way to explore the Holocaust as Alex Perchov, the naive Ukrainian translator writes letters to Foer in a stylized Russo-English tone that reads : It is mammoth honor for me write for a writer, especially when he is American writer, like Ernest Hemingway; or It is bad and popular habit for people in Ukraine to take things without asking are the norm. Interspersed with these letters are the fragments of the real novel by Foer which he exchanges with Alex the interpreter, which describes in a real yet magical account of Foers imagined life in the Shetl, where his grandfather came from, before the Nazis destroyed it completely. An important surrealist theme is this interface between reality deconstructed through Jonathan Foers journey as he traces his familys connections to Trachimbrod ( a fictional representation of the real town Tachenrod) between 1791 and 1942. There are clearly absurd situations and unique personalities and fascinating philosophies depicted in the process, which bring out the intended surrealism. In Chapter two, The Beginning of the world Never Comes, like all traditional Jewish stories it opens with a conditional : Trachim Bs double-axle wagon either did or did not pin him against the bottom of the Brod River. The wagon may or may not have belonged to Trachim, and in truth he may or may not have been killed. This implicit ambiguity and uncertainty is a dominant surreal element – nothing is ever sure when it comes to Trachimrod, and the legend surrounding Trachim who is the real source of the lore. But as a good story is better than no story at all, and Everything is Illminated explores the interface between fact and fiction all along, with the boundaries often merged. To this end, it is a unique narrative art form applied to the pre-history of the Holocaust as someone from a succeeding generation explores its quasi-magical communal origins, now lost. Returning to the theme of automatic writing, much of Alexs perspective as it is presented does not have any line breaks or any semblance of literary organization : They burned the synagogue. They burned the synagogue. That was the first thing they did. That was first. Then they made all of the men in lines' (P. 185). While Alex is literally translating the old womans narrative about the Nazi atrocities, he gives us the surreal impression that he is not lifting his pen from paper as he records a continuous stream of thought. The repetitions reinforce the thought process turning gradually somber and dark, as the novel progresses from its earlier light-hearted beginnings. Towards the end of the novel, it becomes an established theme as the thought process sounds incoherent at times depicting the grim reality of the situation. For instance, when the Nazis march through Kolki, Alex records : It was not forever before he was the only Jew remaining outside of the synagogue the General was now in the second row and said to a man because he only asked men I do not know why who is a Jew and the man said they are all in the synagogue because he did not know Herschel or did not know that Herschel was a Jew (Page 250). Putting no punctuation in this section, as if to rush through the stream of thought is an attempt to get the reader to focus on the text, despite any obvious demarcation between the sentences, as a literary device to bring out the angst and anxiety in the Grandfather as he barely manages to move from one thought to another. The tragedy of the situation, as exemplified by this method of automatic writing, is very distinct from a comprehensively described historical narrative which has been the norm of many historical novels depicting the terror that the Nazis perpetrated. As a surrealist literary tool, this is powerful in evoking subconscious patterns of the mind. Under pressure or fear, as our mind gets cluttered, it gets entwined with the deepest physiological motives of fight or flight – as the mind just processes the bare facts, repeats those which are essential to deconstruct the crucial elements that separate life and death, the bare essentials so to speak. Even love is under strain under such circumstances, and the literary tool of automatic writing that Jonathan Foer uses does not stop at simply removing line breaks and punctuation, he even obliterates the spaces between the words, often repeating them in succession, to bring out the flow and rush of emotion and thoughts. Without stopping to think what he is writing, as if it is a work-in-progress, Foer also introduces the idea of temporality, or the passage of time in his writing. This example of the Grandfathers narrative brings out the idea of a powerful flow : I looked at Grandmother and shekissedmeontheforehead and I kissedheronthemouth and our tearsmixedonourlips and then I kissedyourfather many times I secured him from Grandmothers arms and Iheldhimwithmuchforce so much that he started crying I said I love you I love you I love you I love you I loveyou I loveyou I loveyou I loveyou Iloveyou (Page 250). The use of these new works, cluttered and jumbled, bring out the inherent tragedy of the situation powerfully, as the readers are almost compelled to think outside their normal sphere of reasoning as to why this cluttering has been left unedited in the book. This crazy, quilted patchwork of writing styles that Foer has created perfectly suits the backdrop of the Holocaust, and the use of words like Iloveyou and tearsmixedonourlips seem to express the sentiment that conventional use of English words is inadequate to express the pathos and poignancy of the moment. The presentation of the text itself in Everything is illuminated is another example of surrealistic techniques used in the book. A vivid example is provided in the Book of Antecedents, where after the last entry on Brods list of 613 sadnesses (page 212), the text continues : we are writing†¦ we are writing †¦we are writing for a full one and a half pages. While critics may interpret this somewhat idiosyncratic use as monotonous text in many ways, there is a surrealist explanation that appears plausible. Throughout the interplay of facts, myths and legends seen in Everything is illuminated this was one place in the novel where the reader is powerfully reminded that after all, this is a written piece of work, where writing can be a monotonous activity, when writers have to put pens on papers (or hammer at typewriter keyboards) as part of a daily routine to capture their thought flow. Artistically, this is the equivalent of a painter including a picture of his paintbrushes within a landscape or still portrait to convey the message that it should be interpreted as a work of art, as the artists own rendition of reality. The use of periods to leave out large portions of text is used by Foer in other instances as well, notably towards the end, between the section describing Trachimday and the dream of the end of the world. (pg 272). This was celebration, unmitigated by imminent death. They stayed Without actually describing the bombing of Trachimbrod, Foer powerfully describes the emptiness and tragedy of the impending bombing, as the residents prepared for it stoically, and when the bombing took place they fled the city. These long spaces are the surrealist equivalent of time being frozen, as thought flowed in slow motion. Without adequately expressing the details of the bombing these mental spaces indicate Foers deliberate style of a work-in-progress, as if he intended to fill in these spaces later. In another sense, this surrealistic theme implies the overall mission of the story, as a few characters set out to discover something far bigger than themselves. This surrealist element of describing the function of thought as defined by Breton is evident through out the novel, often with the deliberate misuse of words, as is an artificially distorted surrealist artwork aiming to describe the process rather than reaching literary perfection. For instance, Alex, whose English is not very good confessedly has a thesaurus by his side when writing and picks out inappropriate word alternatives as evident form this line : I have girdled in the envelope the items you inquired, not withholding postcards of Lutsk, the census ledgers of the six villages from before the war, and the photographs you had me keep for cautious purposes†¦ I must eat a slice of humble pie for what occurred to you on the train. I know how momentous the box was for you, for both of us, and how its ingredients were not exchangeable†¦. (Page 23) The inept use of thesaurus-derived synonyms and clumsy phrases remain an important part of the book, as well as the film directed by Liev Schreiber (Carlson 2006) as Alex explains that his friends find his full name Alexander â€Å"more flaccid to utter†. Again in leaving Alexs letters unedited, it is an attempt to depicts the process by which Alex himself matures throughout the book as a researcher and writer, as his initial efforts to prove that he is knowledgeable in English is a surrealistic statement about setting out on the journey to self-discovery through learning. As Alex best describes this process at the end â€Å"Everything is illuminated in the light of the past, which is inside us looking out,† (Carlson 2006) this book is about deconstructing the past using a surrealist technique. Reference Breton, Andre (1924) Le Manifeste du Surrealisme. Translated to English in : Patrick Waldberg, Surrealism (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971), pp. 66-75. Carlson, Daniel (2006) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Decent. Pajiba 2006. Retrieved from the Internet on 15 March, 2008 from : http://www. pajiba. com/everything-is-illuminated. htm

The Treasure of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pisan Essay

The Treasure of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pisan Christine de Pisan’s book, The Treasure of the City of Ladies, explains in detail the various aspects of women’s lives during the late Medieval and Renaissance culture. She addresses all women of this time from those with power and authority to the poorest peasant women. Christine de Pisan focuses on three main areas of a women’s life during this time period. First she discusses the role of knowledge and education in the lives of the various women. Then she offers her advice to all the different women of varied backgrounds and social standards. She relates how all of these women are in fact connected due to common concerns. Finally, she depicts how men and women interact with one another. By describing the way in which women are treated by the men during this time, she portrays the typical relationship between men and women during Renaissance times. Women were expected to lead a very specific life, focusing on the men of their society. Throughout Christine de Pisan’s book, she refers to the three ladies of Virtue: Reason, Rectitude, and Justice. These ladies are the foundations of her teachings. She uses them to explain the relationship between men and women and how they view one another. The lady Prudence teaches all the women of that society about the â€Å"rules† they should follow in order to be good Renaissance women, specifically in their relations with men. â€Å"Now we would like to advance for their edification seven principal teachings, which according to Prudence are necessary to those who desire to live wisely and wish to have honour† (62). These teachings say that the women should love their husbands; they should live in peace with men. If they f... ...d the chance to lead a respectable life according to the â€Å"rules† of the ladies of Virtue. In the late Medieval and Renaissance time period, women had a strict standard to live up to. They should love their husbands, respect them, and obey their commands. The men in return fulfilled the women’s needs by supplying them with whatever they needed. The men and women lived with a mutual respect between themselves. Works Cited Author: Christine, de Pisan, ca. 1364-ca. 1431 Uniform Title: Livre des trois vertus. English Title: The treasure of the city of ladies, or, The book of the three virtues / Christine de Pisan ; translated with an introduction by Sarah Lawson. Published: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England ; New York, N.Y., U.S.A. : Penguin, 1985. ISBN: 014044453X (pbk.)

Evaluation of Maintenance Culture of Christian Cathedral Church Buildings

EVALUATION OF MAINTENANCE CULTURE OF CHRISTIAN CATHEDRAL CHURCH BUILDINGS BY OLAYINKA JOHN AJAYI NOVEMBER, 2012 ABSTRACT The study focused on maintenance culture of cathedral church buildings in Lagos Mainland Area of Lagos State Nigeria. It also assessed the operational state of these church buildings within the study area. In achieving these objectives, opinions of maintenance officers and users of selected cathedral church buildings were sampled through structured questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, upon which 100 respondent were surveyed.The analysis revealed that the operational state of some of these church buildings as been average. Maintenance officers and users of the buildings both ranked insufficiency of fund for maintenance programme as second most significant factor among other factors responsible for poor maintenance management of these church buildings. Other factors found to be highly significant by the maintenance officers a re; cost of maintenance by the operatives. The study recommended proactive measures to reduce the occurrence of defects in the buildings elements and services.The church board of trustee is to provide adequate funding for the implementation of their maintenance programme. Building elements should be regularly inspected to ensure their functionality. CHAPTER ONE 1. 0INTRODUCTION 1. 1Background of the Study Introduction of Christianity in Nigeria metamorphosed through different phases since the early missionaries stepped feet on the Nigerian soil in the 16th century (Ajayi, 2005), and this has given rise into Christian religious institutional buildings as the Christians need a place called church as a building to worship.Hence, old religious institutional buildings are considered symbolically and emotionally significant by community members (Cohen and Jaeger, 2008 & Vangelova, 2005), and public perception endows our environments with cultural values and in turn the perception is d ictated by these values. Numerous researchers and critics in architectural theory and historic preservation looked at these shared values, that humans’ â€Å"psychological necessity† to maintain their memory creates the desire for historic preservation Woodcock (2002).Likewise, the researchers argue that the on-going course of history that contains each generation’s culture should be preserved as the public is concerned with the preservation of their memory that has been fashioned in the relationship with their environments (Brand, 2005 and Downing, 2000). Geva (2002) demonstrates that various building types religious, national, residential are a function of the interaction of cultural, regional climate conditions and architectural forms. Geva analyzed the degree of architectural modifications of single family houses and community churches.From research carried out by Geva (2002), people spent more money in maintaining their personal residential building than re ligious institutional buildings (church). Thus, churches as a building type are significant to the public as they serve primarily as cultural symbols (Cantacuzino, 2009 & Jaeger, 2005). Church Buildings play an important role in the City by providing venues for a range of activities and services aimed at encouraging community interaction and participation.Church Buildings are important assets which contribute to the physical, social and moral wellbeing of the community, society at large and the subsequent development of social capital and community strength Robert (2001). The provision of church buildings promote a sense of community identity and â€Å"sense of place†. At the same time, there are significant cost factors associated with the upkeep (maintaining) and ongoing maintenance of these building assets. Maintenance involves fixing any sort of mechanical, plumbing or electrical device etc should it become out of order or broken (known as repair, unscheduled or casua lty maintenance).It also includes performing routine actions which keep the building in a working order (known as scheduled maintenance) or prevents trouble from arising (preventive maintenance). Maintenance may be defined as, â€Å"All actions which have the objective of retaining or restoring an item in or to a state in which it can perform its required function. The actions include the combination of all technical and corresponding administrative, managerial, and supervision actions. † The former of these represents a closed loop supply chain and usually has the scope of maintenance, repair or overhaul of the building.The latter of the categorizations is an open loop supply chain and is typified by refurbishment and remanufacture. The main characteristic of the closed loop system is that the demand for a product is matched with the supply of a used product. Neglecting asset write-offs and exceptional activities the total population of the product between the customer and t he service provider remains constant. Generally speaking, there are three types of maintenance in use: Preventive maintenance, where equipment is maintained before break down occurs.This type of maintenance has many different variations and is subject of various researches to determine best and most efficient way to maintain equipment buildings inclusive. Recent studies have shown that Preventive maintenance is effective in preventing age related failures of the equipment. For random failure patterns which amount to 80% of the failure patterns, condition monitoring proves to be effective. Corrective maintenance, where equipment is maintained after break down.This maintenance is often most expensive because worn equipment can damage other parts and cause multiple damage. Reliability centered maintenance, often known as RCM, is a process to ensure that assets continue to do what their users require in their present operating context. All these shall be looked into in detailed the lite rature review In addition, the management and community at large has a significant duty of care to ensure that these buildings are kept and maintained appropriately to ensure the safety of all users and compliance with all legislative requirements and standards.While the requirements for good practice in maintenance management of buildings have been established over a considerable period, the achievement of good practice is by no means universal (Turrell, 2007). Furthermore, the maintenance of these religious institutional buildings has a significant impact on the environment and on the whole nation at large. Additionally, the conditions of the surroundings in which we live and learn, is a reflection of the nation’s well being (Lee, 2007). 1. 2Statement of the problemMost existing religious institutional buildings in Lagos State lack adequate maintenance attention and as result of this, these buildings are in very poor and deplorable conditions of structural and decorative di srepair Ogunlana (1999),. While considerable research have been carried out on factors responsible for the poor maintenance of these religious institutional buildings in Lagos State but only scant attention has been given to the key parameters affecting the implementation of maintenance programmes for these religious institutional buildings.There is therefore a need to establish and evaluate the factor affecting maintenance of these religious institutional buildings. 1. 3Aim and Objectives of the Study The aim of this study is to evaluate the maintenance culture of Christian institutional buildings in Lagos State. To achieve this aim, the following objectives are adopted. 1. To identify the maintenance problem of religious institutional buildings and provide solutions to the problem. 2. To examine the physical conditions of these religious institutional buildings so as to ascertain the level of their maintenance. . To examine the maintenance principle in use for Christian religious institutional buildings in Lagos state. 4. To evaluate the effect of maintenance on the performance of religious institutional buildings in Lagos State. 1. 4Significance of the Study The study will state how significant the maintenance of our religious institutional buildings is in social economic development of our country at large and the research finding will contribute to solving problems regarding maintenance culture of these institutional buildings.The findings of this study will contribute to the improvement of poor maintenance culture of these buildings and lukewarm attitude of maintenance managers in charge of these buildings. The result of the study will determine the quantity of maintainable items supplied to this building. The study will further educate maintenance manager of the building to broaden their horizon in planning day to day maintenance. Furthermore, the outcome of the study will create awareness in maintenance culture in relation to the basic demands of the d ifferent subject or maintenance areas. . 5Research Question In order to achieve the objectives of this study, the following questions have to be answered. 1. What are the maintenance problems facing these religious institutional buildings? 2. Are these religious institutional buildings in good physical condition? 3. What are the maintenance principles implore by the maintenance managers in maintaining these institutional buildings? 4. What are the effects of maintenance on the performance of these religious institutional buildings? 1. 6Scope and Limitation of the StudyThere is no doubt about the significance Christian Institutional buildings in Lagos State as they also serve as social and moral heritage and they must be maintained properly. Hence the scope of this study shall be limited to Cathederal Churches in Lagos Mainland of Lagos State. HAPTER TWO 2. 0REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2. 0Preamble Geva (2002) demonstrates that various building types religious, national, residential are a function of the interaction of cultural, regional climate conditions and architectural forms.Geva analyzed the degree of architectural modifications of single family houses and community churches. From research carried out by Geva (2002) that the people spent more money in maintaining their personal residential building than religious institutional buildings (church). Thus, churches as a building type are significant to the public as they serve primarily as cultural symbols (Cantacuzino, 2009 & Jaeger, 2005). 2. 1What is Maintenance? History is about the preservation of the past, so that a good use may be made of the future.Fifty years ago, the challenge was to get people to identify and care about institutional religious buildings while twenty-five years ago, the challenge was to avert development. Today, the challenge is to stop the unnecessary loss of historic religious institutional buildings through neglect, Onifade (2000). There are a substantial number of people wh o do not know the meaning of maintenance. At least the way they practice it would indicate this. In practice, prevalent interpretation of maintenance is to â€Å"fix† it when â€Å"it breaks†. This is a good definition for repair, but not true maintenance. This style of maintenance is reactive.Maintenance, according to Smith (2003) means to keep in its existing state, preserve, continue in good operating condition. Maintenance is defined as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, to an acceptable standard and to sustain the utility and value of the facility. This is a proactive maintenance. Historically in both the public sector and the private sector, maintenance was seen by many as an avoidable task which was perceived as adding little to the quality of the working environment, and expending scarce resources which could be better placed, Smiths (2008).To some maintenance is war. The enemies are the triumvirate of breakdown, deterioration, and all the types of unplanned events. The soldiers are the maintenance departments, in our organization and as many civilians as we can recruit. Military historians study battles with an eye towards identifying the pattern of conditions that dominated the outcome. As maintenance leaders, we have many strategies and weapons at our disposal, some new, some old, some complex and some simple, some defective as one theater of operations and some better in another.Each strategy to consider works only with the support of the correct weapons and the logistics. Institutional buildings, which form an integral part of the environment, are severely exposed to agencies such as moisture, intense solar radiation and prevailing winds, which directly change their physical attributes (Ikpo, 2006). The prime effects of these environmental agencies include discoloration, abrasion, cracks, stains and fungal growth. Therefore, regular or periodic maintenance is required to preserve the physical form of severely exposed religious institutional buildings, and landforms among others.Apart from exposure to weather, biochemical agencies also accelerate decay of institutional buildings. It has become factual that these physical and social changes have affected sites of cultural and historical importance. In the process, potential tourist sites of local and national interest comprising historical and peculiar architectural buildings, archaeological excavations, palaces, groves, monuments, open spaces and town squares are lost while some are wasting away. The issue is not that of causation of deterioration but of poor response to maintenance demands. 2. 2Maintenance of Institutional BuildingsReligious Institutional buildings today are confronted by unique challenges that threaten their very existence (Stolzenberg, 2004). The characteristics and the structure of these institutional buildings, by their nature lack the capacity to compete with the changing whether again. According to Shohet (2003), the performance of religious institutional buildings and their components depends to a large degree on continuous and planned periodical maintenance. The Built environment expresses in physical form the complex, social and economic factors, which give structure and life to a community (Lee, 2005).According to Banful (2004) the financial consequences of neglecting maintenance is often not only seen in terms of reduced asset life and premature replacement but also in increased operating cost and waste of related and natural and financial resources. Maintenance is related to the background of any project, unfortunately development plans and approved recurrent and capital estimates in religious institutional buildings in Lagos state have revealed that thought have not be given to maintenance work (Onifade, 2003). 2. Maintenance Problems of Religious Institutional Buildings There are so many problems being faced by attempts to maintain institutional buildings. Aradeon (2006) lis ted some of these problems to include inadequate professionals and the closeness of these sites to urban centres thereby making the land occupied by them to attract high value for alternative investment. The major problems confronting the maintenance of institutional buildings revealed by the study are related to finance basically. Repair cost of Religious institutional buildings is usually higher than a modern home.Some common maintenance needs seen in home are problems such as peeling paints and foundation cracks; minor structural problems such as crack plaster to small movement in the foundation; drainage and grading problems due to the installation of new roof gutter; insufficient electrical system; poorly installed plumbing; older leaking roof; older heating and cooling system; poor ventilation: excessive moisture from un-vented bathrooms and cooking areas causing damaged plaster and deteriorated windows; and excessive air leakage, Onifade (2006). 2. 3. 1Finance Maintenance is essential for the conservation of religious institutional buildings.Those who participate in the maintenance of religious institutional buildings like the church management committee need to know their likely financial commitment before work commences. This early-stage cost advice can establish realistic budget for decision making (Smith, 2005). The cost of maintenance of a religious institutional building could be high or lower depending on the structure at the beginning and invariably, it is usually high because of the materials that were used in the first place which may not meet current standard. It is therefore difficult for these properties to be maintaining properly (Mandal, 2004).The increasing abandonment of these properties by those who were originally responsible for them informed the need for government, NGOs and religious bodies’ participation in their maintenance. Finance is the major factor that inhibits the conservation of religious institutional buildings. Th e maintenance of institutional buildings requires a lot of money that cannot be provided by a single body. Other maintenance problems are; according to Adenuga (1999), various problems of varying magnitudes and origins are encountered in the process of maintenance. Some of these would include: 2. 3. Design Problems Some fundamental maintenance problems originate from the design of the building. These types of problems are usually hard to solve as it may involve complete reconstruction of the entire building or large section of it. It may be avoided or, at least, drastically reduced by involving at the design stages professional experts, including highly competent and experienced Maintenance Managers. 2. 3. 3Problem of Skill Some Maintenance Managers and their crew of craftsmen and technicians lack the desired skills (which include experience, technical know-how, etc) required on the job. . 3. 4Research and Development Problems There is lack of adequate funds and interest in this dir ection. In fact, research and development directed towards building maintenance is non-existent or at best, very minimal. 2. 3. 5Overcrowding Another characteristic common to most homes of poorer groups is crowded, cramped conditions. Many health problems affecting poorer groups are associated with overcrowding, including household accidents, acute respiratory infections (of which pneumonia is perhaps the most serious), tuberculosis and other airborne infections.In the predominantly low-income residential areas in Third World cities, there is often an average of four or more persons per room and in many instances less than one square metre of floorspace per person. Diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza and meningitis are easily transmitted from one person to another. Their spread is often aided by low resistance among inhabitants due to malnutrition and by frequent contact between infected and susceptible people. Acute bacterial and viral respiratory infections and lots of others are diseases caused by overcrowding Horner (2007). 2. 3. 6Indoor Air PollutionWhere open fires or relatively inefficient stoves are used indoors for cooking and/or heating, smoke or fumes from coal, wood or other biomass fuels can cause or contribute to serious respiratory problems. Chronic effects include inflammation of the respiratory tract which in turn reduces resistance to acute respiratory infections, while these infections in turn enhance susceptibility to the inflammatory effects of smoke and fumes. Exposure to carcinogens in emissions from biomass fuel combustion has been confirmed in studies in which exposed subjects wore personal monitoring equipment.Women who may spend 2-4 hours a day at the stove must be at risk. Infants and children may be heavily exposed because they remain with their mothers; the added exposure to pollutants combined with malnutrition may retard growth, leading to smaller lungs and greater prevalence of chronic bronchitis Harvey (2009) 2. 3. 7Disea se Vectors A large range of vectors live, breed or feed within or around houses and settlements. The diseases they cause or carry include some of the major causes of ill health and premature death in many cities – especially malaria (anopheles mosquitoes) and diarrhea diseases (cockroaches, blowflies and houseflies).But there are also many other diseases caused or carried by insects, spiders or mites including bancroftian filariasis (culex mosquitoes), Chagas disease (triatomine bugs), dengue fever (Ardes mosquitoes), hepatitis A (houseflies, cockroaches), leishmaniasis (sand-fly), plague (certain fleas), relapsing fever (body lice and soft ticks), scabies (scabies mites), trachoma (face flies), typhus (body lice and fleas), yaws (face flies), and yellow fever (Aegypti mosquitoes). Urban expansion may also change the local ecology in ways which favour the emergence or multiplication of particular disease vectors.For instance, Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector for dengue feve r and yellow fever is often found to breed in polluted water sources such as soak-away pits and septic tanks. Anopheline mosquitoes generally shun polluted water but certain species have adapted to the urban environment and now breed in swamps and ditches in or close to urban areas Horner (2007). 2. 4Maintenance System The selection of maintenance system to be operated in the building should take into consideration in terms of the life cycle of the building materials, services installation provided space function or activities to be carried out in that particular building.In some cases, when the material has reached the ‘wear and tear’ condition, the maintenance work is then required to rectify those defects. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that the design team understands materials performance in order to reduce the running cost during building operation. Using so called ‘heavy duty’ materials and yet producing high quality building fabric, Arade on (2006). By knowing the physical and detail life span of the materials will allow the maintenance team to forecast the budget allocated for replacement work and planned the maintenance work as per schedule.With a detail record of the previous maintenance work, it will act as a benchmark to the future maintenance activities where decision be made through this. It shows that, the maintenance work should not only rectify and making good all defects at the affected area but also at the same time should be properly recorded. It is a way to closely monitor the severity of the defects occurring in the building; Arazi (2009). Referring to the previous record will assist the maintenance team to overcome and provide an effective remedial works.In spite of planned maintenance, emergency maintenance will involve urgent and immediate work prior to the problem. It is to avoid the resultant consequences to other activities which may cause severe failures; Oloyede (1991). By considering those pla nned and unplanned maintenance, the management should provide a realistic budget and come out with some emergency plans in dealing with uncertainties cases. Therefore, the implementation of an effective maintenance practice must inculcate some indicators to improvise the traditional maintenance management system to reach the needs and nature of the work. . 5Maintenance Needs and Nature It is highly desirable but hardly feasible to produce buildings that are maintenance-free, although much can be done at the design stage to reduce the amount of subsequent maintenance work. All elements of buildings deteriorate at a greater or lesser rate depending on material and methods of construction, environmental conditions and the use of the building. A prime aim of maintenance is to preserve a building in its initial stage, as far as practicable, so that it effectively serves its purpose. The main purposes of maintaining buildings are; Apwa (2001) i.Retaining value of investment. ii. Maintaini ng the building in a condition in which it continues to fulfill its function. iii. Presenting a good appearance. Maintenance work has also been categorized as â€Å"predictable† and â€Å"avoidable. Predictable maintenance is regularly periodic work that may be necessary to retain the performance characteristic of a product, as well as that required to replace or repair the product after it has achieved a useful life span. Avoidable maintenance is the work required to rectify failures caused by poor design, incorrect installation or the use of faulty materials.The function of maintenance can be divided into three (3) groups; * Cleaning and servicing, * Rectification and repair and * Replacement. Timely expenditure on the first two can postpone the need to replace materials or components, a very expensive business. Cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults when become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for mo re expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. Apwa (2001) 2. 6Type of MaintenanceAccording to Avedesian (2006) maintenance can be divided into the following categories:- Breakdown maintenance: It means that people waits until equipment fails and repairs it. Such a thing could be used when the equipment failure does not significantly affect the operation or production or generate any significant loss other than repair cost. Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organized and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan, Unplanned maintenance Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. Preventive maintenanceMaintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. It is a daily maintenance (cleaning, inspection, oiling and re-tightening), design to retain the healthy condition of equipment and prevent failure through the prevention of deterioration, periodic inspection or equipment condition diagnosis, to measure deterioration.It is further divided into periodic maintenance and predictive maintenance. Just like human life is extended by preventive medicine, the equipment service life can be prolonged by doing preventive maintenance. | Preventive maintenance as scheduled overhaul or scheduled replacement provides two of the three proactive failure management policies available to the maintenance manager. Common methods of determining what Preventive (or other) failure management policies should be applied are; OEM ecommendations, requirements of codes and legislation within a jurisdiction, what an â€Å"expert† thinks ought to be done, or the maintenance that's already done to similar equipment, and most important measured values and perfo rmance indications. To make it simple: * Preventive maintenance is conducted to keep equipment working and/or extend the life of the equipment. * Corrective maintenance, sometimes called â€Å"repair,† is conducted to get equipment working again. 2. 7Goals of a Successful Maintenance Programme According to Iyagba R.O (2004) Successful maintenance programs should achieve these goals: 1. Help buildings function as they were intended and operate at peak efficiency, including minimizing energy consumption. Because maintenance keeps equipment functioning as designed, it reduces inefficiencies in operations and energy usage. 2. Failures of building systems that would interrupt occupants’ activities and the delivery of public services. Buildings that operate trouble-free allow public employees to do their jobs and serve the public.Because maintenance includes regular inspections and replacement of equipment crucial to operating a building, maintenance staff reduces the proble ms that might otherwise lead to a breakdown in operations. 3. Sustain a safe and healthful environment by keeping buildings and their components in good repair and structurally sound. Protecting the physical integrity of building components through preventive maintenance preserves a safe environment for employees and the public. 4. Provide maintenance in ways that are cost-effective.Preventive maintenance can prevent minor problems from escalating into major system and equipment failures that result in costly repairs. In avoiding costs of major repairs, preventive maintenance creates efficiencies. Increasing preventive maintenance can reduce time spent reacting to crises, which is a more cost-effective way to operate buildings. Deferring preventive maintenance can generate higher costs over the long term. 2. 8Building Performance This is a comprehensive whole house approach to identifying and fixing comfort and energy efficiently.Building performance or home performance is a compreh ensive whole-house approach to identifying and fixing comfort and energy efficiency problems in a home. Energy audits are performed by energy auditors, also known as building analysts or consultants, which, in the United States, are usually certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI). The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy started a national program â€Å"Home Performance with ENERGY STAR† to offer a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort at home, while helping to protect the environment.The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program has 40 programs, to date, across the country which are administered by various utilities and state energy offices. Home performance applies building science to address the following issues: Efficient energy use, Durability, Indoor Air Quality, Thermal Comfort, Indoor Moisture sources and solutions Diagnostic equipment includes: Blower door, Duct blaster, Thermogr aphic camera Combustion analyzer.A home performance energy audit results in home energy retrofit recommendations to improve the comfort and efficiency of the home, the most common of which include: Sealing air holes and gaps in the building envelope and subsequently adding insulation. Sealing ducts. Upgrading heating and cooling systems, appliances and lighting by replacing them with energy efficient equipment such as ENERGY STAR appliances or devices, compact fluorescent lamps, or LED lamps. Adding heat recovery ventilation or other means to control and upgrade fresh air ventilation, Retrieved from Google (2012). CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PreambleThis chapter housed the method used in gathering the necessary information and source of data used on the research project. The study examines the techniques used in analyzing the data. This research is based on the evaluation of maintenance culture of Christian religious institutional buildings in Lagos State, Nigeria, and the fo llowing were looked into, research design, population, sampling technique, instrument for data collection, administration of instrument and technique of data analysis. Technique of Data Analysis The data collected was analyzed with simple percentage for respondents’ bio-data, Arithmetic mean for research.This was done in respects to the four points Likert scale, Analysis of Research Questions Research Question 1:what are the maintenance problems facing Christian institutional buildings? S/N| STATEMENT| SA| A| D| SD| X | Remarks | 1| The church building is in a detoration state| -| 3Ãâ€"39| 2Ãâ€"65130| 1Ãâ€"3232| 1. 71| Disagree| 2| The church building needs certain level of repair generally| -| 3Ãâ€"35105| 2Ãâ€"4590| 1Ãâ€"2020| 2. 15| Disagree | 3| Most of the roofing, paints and some parts of the church needs repair| 4Ãâ€"37148| 3Ãâ€"3399| 2Ãâ€"1530| 1Ãâ€"1515| 2. 5| Agree | Source; Field Survey, 2O12 From the table above, the respondents disagreed with statement o ne and statement two respectively with the mean score level of 1. 71 and 2. 15 respectively. But agree with the last statement to show the level of maintenance needed by these church buildings. From the analysis above we discovered that these church buildings are maintained but there are still levels of maintenance needed in the area of roofing due to wear and tear and moisture, which also is applicable to the church painting.Research Question 2: are these Christian institutional buildings in good physical conditions? S/N| STATEMENT| SA| A| D| SD| X | Remarks | 4| The building equipments has been audited several time to ascertain level of maintenance needs| 4Ãâ€"67268| 3Ãâ€"2369| 2Ãâ€"36| 1Ãâ€"77| 3. 50| Agree| 5| There are certain amounts allocated for the maintenance of this building by the authority. | 4Ãâ€"78312| 3Ãâ€"2266| -| -| 3. 78| Agree| 6| Periodic preventive maintenance is carried out on this church building| 4Ãâ€"85340| 3Ãâ€"1854| 2Ãâ€"510| -| 4. 4| Agree| Sour ce; Field Survey, 2O12 The table above shows that the respondents agreed with all of the statements made. The mean scores are 3. 50, 3. 78 and 4. 04 respectively which mean that the majority of the churches surveyed are kept under good conditions with amount allocated for maintenance and periodic preventive maintenance carried out. Research Question 3: what are the maintenance principles implore by the maintenance managers in maintaining these buildings? S/N| STATEMENT| SA| A| D| SD| X | Remarks | | There is a facility maintenance plan for this building| 4Ãâ€"55220| 3Ãâ€"45135| -| -| 3. 55| Agree| 8| The facility maintenance plan includes long and short term objectives and budgets? | 4Ãâ€"27108| 3Ãâ€"1545| 2Ãâ€"2448| 1Ãâ€"3434| 2. 35| Disagree| 9| The facility manager carry out preventive maintenance regularly| 4Ãâ€"85340| 3Ãâ€"1854| 2Ãâ€"510| -| 4. 04| Agree| Source; Field Survey, 2012 The table above shows that the respondents agreed with statements 7 and 9 with mean scor e of 3. 55 and 4. 04 respectively, thereby disagreeing with statement 8 made with mean score of 2. 5, which shows an indication that there is facility maintenance plans for all the church building and that there is preventive maintenance carried out by the manager, but there are no adequate budget to execute this maintenance plan. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary Maintenance is regarded to be the most pragmatic and philosophically appropriate conservation method (Forsyth, 2007). Regular maintenance is critical to the survival of any building, be it cultural, heritage or non-heritage and church buildings.This recognition was made as early as 1877 by William Morris the founder of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), an organization entrusted with caring and preserving United Kingdom’s heritage buildings. He considered regular maintenance as â€Å"the most practical and economic form of conserving heritage buildings†. Kerr (2000) als o emphasized that â€Å"of all the processes of conserving ancient church buildings, maintenance is the single most important process†. To date, regular maintenance is still considered as the most sustainable way of preserving church buildings (Dan and Cantell, 2007).However, a large number of heritage buildings are decaying due to age, neglect, high maintenance cost and lack of comprehensive guidelines and understanding of heritage buildings’ maintenance management practices 5. 2Conclusion The study has revealed that the operational state (physical-functional condition) of church buildings in Lagos State as carried out by the maintenance department was found to be good, The analysis discloses that the Cathedral church buildings in Lagos State are in a good state of existence in terms of the physical and functional conditions of the building elements and services that constitute these buildings.But for better performance, a proactive rather than reactive approach shoul d be adopted for effective maintenance practices as some Cathedral church buildings out of the surveyed ones are not properly maintained. This study has raised awareness on the practice and cost of neglect of maintenance of our Cathedral Church buildings. It is not intended to frighten the church owner or user, it is to sound the alarm for the need of imbibing the culture of maintenance of our church buildings as opposed to the culture of lawlessness and arbitrariness that have characterized past management of our building stock.The research work is wake-up to arresting the menace and embarrassment of the Sick Building Syndrome. 5. 3Recommendations Cathedral church buildings are places of worship as such more has to be done by both the maintenance management staff and the users to improve the operational state (physical-functional condition) more in maintaining those which are not properly maintained as they are place which give moral lessons to the people. Recommendations for these churches cannot be over emphasized.Hence upon this the following recommendations are made to preserve these church buildings under survey. Maintenance managers and their team should adopt more proactive approach to reduce the occurrence of defects, which will consequently bring about better physical and functional Cathedral church buildings elements and services. The governing councils of these churches should always set aside adequate fund for the running of these Cathedral church buildings as the study shows that there are no long time budgets for these buildings.Maintenance managers should equally give the narrow managerial span of control a trial in use as this may likely bring about a more effective organizational structure leading to better maintenance management of public hospital buildings. It is also important that maintenance management work together with top administration management so as to secure sufficient funds for maintenance works as well as ensure that such funds is judiciously utilized. Maintenance manager should use authentic materials and skills in repairing and retrofitting these church buildings.Older buildings require constant maintenance. Current funding programs cover the initial conversion costs, but not longer-term maintenance. Perhaps additional funds for maintenance could be made available when conserving built heritage is part of a housing project’s objectives. Building managers should also * coordinate preventive maintenance with other maintenance projects, * prepare a checklist of preventive maintenance tasks, * schedule a timeline for the tasks, * prepare procedures for managing the program, and include preventive maintenance among activities for controlling the quality of air inside buildings As building managers determine what maintenance projects are needed, they should use an objective process for setting priorities among them. For cost effectiveness, building managers should calculate total costs over the expecte d lifetime of building and facilities. As a prelude to preventive maintenance, building managers should oversee periodic inspections of buildings’ conditions and create an inventory of buildings’ components and equipment.References Adenuga, O. A. (1999): Building maintenance in Nigeria: Structural Deterioration, Recognition Diagnosis of Causes and Remedies. (01), 5-25). Ajayi, L. A. (1987): Concern for collapse of building in Nigeria. Journal of the Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineers, 1(2). Akinsola, O. E. , Adenuga O. A. , and Iyagba R. O. (2004): Strategic maintenance practices: Effective loots for improved productivity and efficiency of plants and equipments in construction industry. Journal of Building Quarterly, 3(1), 10-15. Allen, D (2003), Facilities management, Bradford, Vol. 11, Iss 3, pg. 7. Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International, School Facilities Maintenance and Operations Manual (Reston, VA: ASBO International, 2008). Avedesi an, (2006) How to Design and Manage Your Preventive Maintenance Program. APWA and Building Research Board of the National Research Council, Committing to the Cost of Ownership: Maintenance and Repair of Public Buildings (Chicago: APWA, 2001). Alexander, B. Atkin, J. Brochner, T. Haugen (2004), Facilities Management, Innovation and Performance. Barret, P. (2005), Facilities Management: Towards Best Practice, Oxford:Blackwell Science. British Standard Institution (1998): BS 79813: The principle of the Construction of Historic Buildings. BSI, London. Chanter, P. , Swallow B, (2000), Building Maintenance Management, Blackwell Science, Ltd. David G. Cotts, (2009). The Facility Management Handbook, 2d ed. (New York: American Management Association.

Statement of Purpose(S.O.P.).Doc

Statement of Purpose (S. O. P. ) Date:- 30-Aug-2011. I am applying for admission to the IIML – Executive Programme For Young Managers – EPYM – 01 I am interested in factors that affect the competitive performance of a business concern, and the manner in which changes in technology affect an organisation's structure, long-term business strategy, supply chains, distribution network, information needs and standard systems. In order to gain an appreciation of these and related issues, it is essential for me to have a strong grounding in Economics, Supply Chain Management, and issues connected with International Trade, as well as gain a General Management perspective. I believe that the Executive Programme For Young Managers – EPYM – 01 would be invaluable in helping me achieve these objectives. It would enable me to channel my quantitative and conceptual skills in analysing business issues. I would like to apply for the management position where I believe, the innovativeness and having capability of putting extra efforts would definitely help me to prosper personally and professionally. I take this opportunity to brief on my background, I had completed my Diploma In Course in Electronics and radio Engineering from Cusrow Wadia Institute of Technology, Pune. After passing out I have successfully completed various course related to International Business. One of the courses I had completed is a regular part-time one year course from a Symbiosis Institute of Foreign Trade, Pune. Presently I am Working In an Export firm called Indimet Pvt. Ltd, Pune having an overseas office Indimet Inc. in USA in our Organizations I am involved interaction with people at all levels of the value chain, and at organizational levels from the Chairman to a packing clerk. I am fully responsible for Import and Export of the Company from packing the goods upto payment receipt from the customer against our Exports. The time limitation on each level of Export and Import assignment has taught me to plan well, work systematically and keep my reports up-to-date. At the same time, having to defend my analyses and recommendations, during both internal discussions and presentations to clients, has taught me to think rigorously and creatively. Our extensive use of computers for analysis and preparation of presentations and reports has made me familiar with spreadsheet, word processing and presentation packages. Still there are some core areas to study International business and its related issues in depth. I realise that in order to be able to do so, I need a better understanding of the various facets of management; the interlinkages between different functional areas and between different business entities. I want to do an Executive Programme For Young Managers – EPYM – 01 from IIM Lucknow for many reasons. I heard about this course from browsing in to internet for a management programs from the reputed institutes. Through this course I believe that I could improve upon my skills in International; Trade and also in understanding the business in more depth. Learnnig from IIML is a need for a Middle level professional will help to achieve a lot in person as well as for the Organisation. Also the contributions by this institute to academics of business have been unique. The fact that your students would be future leaders to take on the real business experience gives confidence that my dreams would also come true. I believe it would provide increased opportunities and brand to be a global contributor . I hope you will take a favorable decision regarding my admission and I look forward to join such an esteemed institute.